Cage and Crucible
by hotelkaldereta
Summary: Weiss Schnee isn't your conventional rich girl, and that's exactly what she aims for—fighting for a world that will bring the sublimity of justice. She and three other girls with just as great power will find that what they're looking for comes with a cost, and her connections with a certain team will pit them against the grimmer forces behind fables and fiction.


"Couldn't you be a _little_ more conscientious of your surroundings?"

Her voice is sharp and high, and there's something about its silvery timbre that's familiar; Wally's glad that his super speed included g-force adaptation-otherwise, the whiplash he'd suffer would be killer. He glowers at her, holding his arms out in a mock shrug and rolling his eyes.

"I don't know if you've noticed, babe, but there isn't a turn-based system in an _actual_ heroes versus villains fight."

It's the aftermath; debris and darkness is all that they're left with in the abandoned street—the entire block, practically—but she's a bright beacon that stands out beyond the remains of such mayhem. Wally wishes that he could recognize a figure like that—a **major** super hottie that _had_ to be at least a B grade—but he couldn't. Her short cape billowed behind her gallantly from her stance atop the streetlight, her hair swaying just as melodramatically. He didn't even _know_ anyone with _white hair_.

Nah, this chick was _totally_ new on the playing field. And he dug new meat.

Not that he was trying to look up her skirt or anything. (Really, he wasn't.)

"That wasn't what I was talking about. I meant that you seem to have little conscience for your environment," she retorted tartly, " _Collateral damage?_ And don't _leer_ at me like that. "

She drops down in front of him, an effortless glide, and Wally doesn't conceal how much sizing up he's doing because she isn't hiding her efforts either. The cocky smile he wears seems to only add fuel to the flame behind her mask, and she scoffs, lips twisting,

"I wouldn't have thought that the the Flash's sidekick would be so … _underwhelming_." Was it because of the flirting thing? (It was _totally_ because of the flirting thing.) But hey, Wally could protect his honor better with actions instead of words. As much as he had a _big mouth_ , he had an even bigger _brain_. This chick and her laser eyes weren't scaring him away just yet.

" _Underwhelming?_ Come on, Flash and I straight up _decimated_ those punks!" True to his words, the Flash returned heaving the four vandals, who were missing their electro-thermal guns, and their weird crystal ammunition. Two were riding face down on one shoulder, and his curled fists held one each. He raised a brow, no doubt assessing their close proximity and exchange of quips.

"Doubting my protégé, Rune?" Looking between his mentor and newcomer, Wally didn't conceal his confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, exclaiming stutters almost as fast as he ran, but The Flash cut in with a short chortle and patted her arm. She looked almost offended, but Wally could see that she was visibly placated by his presence. Oh yeah, he needed his uncle to calm a chick down. Rolling his eyes, Wally grew impatient and motioned to the paler, _tinier_ figure that had moved to stand beside the Flash.

" _Who_ is she, exactly-!?" Melodramatic as always, he stood affronted even as she looked at him appraisingly behind her mask. The entire time, she seemed to glow a never-ending white beneath the blanket of the evening darkness—until Wally realized that she actually _was_. Flash, too, raised his brow, again, good-naturedly at her and beckoned her to speak-

"I'm Rune. A … _pleasure_ to make your acquaintance." _Time to make a better second impression and sweep this babe off her feet._ Disregarding (or ignoring) her tongue-in-cheek, Wally grinned, a thumb jutted towards himself, as he winked at her without any shame.

"Name's Kid Flash. Feel free to wear it out, _snow angel_." Her jaw tensed, and she smiled, disarming him for a moment. The Flash let out a guffaw that seemed to have been withheld for as long as he possibly could. _A smile had to be a good thing, right?_ Kid Flash was already making up further suggestions for a date when her voice cut in, as clinical as a doctor dropping in the Bad News to a sixty-five year old.

"Duly noted, though I wouldn't dream of it when it looks like what you really fought was your refrigerator, given the evidence…" She motioned from his abdomen to his loins, and a quick look down mortified him beyond repair. The yellow mustard on his suit was practically unnoticeable, but the ketchup was an embarrassing accent to his costume—and there was even a piece of relish! Barry told him that he shouldn't eat a loaded hot dog while running, but how was it his fault that the baddies were causing a scene during his _post-evening snack_? They obviously planned it at his inconvenience.

He vibrated with a sheepish smile, and she evaded the onslaught of crusted condiments with a step closer to the Flash. Wally only winked at her and waggled his brows, until the Flash spoke, who was previously silent to keep from choking on his words after expelling his ill-concealed laughter.

"As you can see, we had this taken care of," He lost his smile, though his voice didn't betray his benevolence, "Though I'm sure you knew that already. Were you here the entire time?" Wally looked between his uncle and Rune—once, then twice. He knew her—no, trusted her enough to speak honestly? He barely knew her for ten minutes, and the Flash seemed to be right at home.

Simply put, this was a strange science that he couldn't figure out.

"…Perhaps." Her eyes shifted languidly between both him and the Flash, and she uncrossed her arms. Rune stood with more confidence than most teenage girls he knew, her shoulders back and chin raised assuredly. It was an odd stance for someone who Wally wasn't familiar with—and he knew _everyone_ out here.

Maybe she _wasn't_ new on the playing field, and that just about piqued Wally's interest and he regarded Rune with rapt attention, though in a way unlike before. Lithe, slender—too thin to be an _experienced_ hero, but she didn't look like she was lost and clueless at all. She probably wasn't strength-oriented in skill, so maybe-?

"You know how I'd rather not get myself involved in business where others already have had their hands all over them, but there is a particular detail that captured my attention." Her tone veered sharp as a razor, but the Flash hadn't looked put off at all. Instead, he indulged her as she swiftly grabbed one of the goon's utility belts, practically throwing the entire thing away altogether besides a dark pouch. She hefted the weight in one small hand, and poured the contents into the other.

The crystals glowed iridescent, each piece no bigger than her ring finger and thicker by four times as much. So this was the ammunition that they were shooting? It explained the fireworks but he could have chalked that up to incendiaries—except for the ice and vortexes. She looked like she wanted to explain, but instead she creased her lips into a thin line and pocketed them back into the pouch and reached down once more to another vandal, grabbing a full canister of _something_ that was similar looking to the rocks, but—

"I'd fill you in, Flash, but I really ought to get going. Girl's night, you know?"

" _So soon?_ You know, Rune, we _can_ get to know each other bet—"

Rune rolled her eyes and walked a few steps back, and with the outward snap of her wrist, a runic circle formed beneath her feet. Her right hand was an enclosed fist until it released both her index and middle finger at once, and the circle expanded three-quarters. As she pulled it towards her, what looked like two large snowflakes overlapping beneath her feet began to spin faster and faster, as did the surrounding, undecipherable writing, and then she was jetting through the air. Wally cupped his hands around his mouth, calling after her,

" _Call me—!_ "

Flash rolled his eyes at his nephews lame attempts at garnering Rune's fleeting attention _—_ and fleeing form _—_ though it would be hard to tell behind his white lens, and kicked Kid Flash back into gear by passing him half the number of criminals. While they waited for the police to arrive, Wally couldn't help but look back at where Rune had once flown, her retreating form no longer visible although her glyphs, while becoming more and more distant, were shining as bright as the night stars.

If Wally didn't know any better, he would have thought it _magical._


End file.
